National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance looking at the most underpaid coaches, tight ends who will no longer be overshadowed, and the best Week 1 matchups to look forward to.
Most Underpaid Coaches
— Some coaches make too much money, and some too little. Here are the underpaid guys, in my estimation.
1. Dave Doeren, NC State
— He was just extended until 2027 and makes $5 million a year which isn’t bad but for a guy who’s been there so long and has multiple 9 win seasons he’s underpaid.
2. PJ Fleck, Minnesota
— Fleck makes around $6 million a year, which isn’t bad, but he’s 32-14 over the last four seasons, and that’s pretty impressive.
3. Chip Kelly, UCLA
— He’s at $5.6 million a year, but he has UCLA rolling, and the program has turned a corner, so where’s the bigger money?
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4. Chris Klieman, Kansas State
— $4 million a year to win the Big 12 when others are making much more in the same conference? Doesn’t seem right.
5. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
— I know Wake isn’t a big program, but having Clawson under $4 million a year is crazy. 53 wins over the last seven seasons isn’t easy to do there.
Tight Ends Stepping Into the Spotlight
— The tight end has become more important than ever in football and these guys are finally going to get their due after being overshadowed.
1. Jaheim Bell, Florida State
Overshadowed by: Brock Bowers
It took getting out of the SEC for Bell to enter this list because, let’s face it, Bowers is hands down the best TE in the country, and he’s still got another year of eligibility. But the newest Seminole is a beast in his own right and should lead the conference in overall yards for a TE. He’s also a great complement to fellow portal TE Kyle Morlock as well, as the two of them should help Jordan Travis take his game to another level in his final season.
2. Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame
Overshadowed by: Michael Mayer
The next great tight end on the factory line in South Bend, Evans has been the understudy to the All-American Mayer for two years while getting valuable reps. And with Gerad Parker taking over the offensive playcalling duties, you might see even more targets to the tight end position, allowing the true junior to shine.
3. Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford
Overshadowed by: Dalton Kincaid
Stanford has had some outstanding tight ends during the Jim Harbaugh & David Shaw eras, and Yurosek started to come into his own as the next great one last season. And he’s as sure of a target as they come. Yurosek graded out with the best hands of any tight end in the country per PFF. So look for his numbers to skyrocket as a senior.
4. Erick All, Iowa
Overshadowed by: Sam LaPorta, Payne Durham
The big tight end transferred from Michigan to Iowa alongside his teammate, quarterback Cade McNamara. All will follow in the Hawkeye tradition of tight ends that includes LaPorta, George Kittle, Noah Fant, TJ Hockenstein, Dallas Clark, and numerous others who have been dominant at both the collegiate and NFL level.
Best Week 1 Matchups
— And finally, it’s never too early to look forward to college football. Here are the five best Week 1 matchups.
1. Florida State vs. LSU
The obvious choice, both of these squads have legitimate CFP aspirations in 2023. The Seminoles are one of the hottest teams in the nation heading into the fall, as Mike Norvell has dominated the portal and managed to keep stud DL Jared Verse in Tallahassee instead of heading to the draft. It’s not only the best game of opening weekend, but one of the best non-conference matchups of the season.
2. UNC vs. South Carolina
The Gamecocks have as much momentum as any program at the end of 2022, with big wins against Tennessee and Clemson to close out the regular season. Both teams come in with great offenses and questionable defenses, so it should be a barnburner. Don’t be surprised when Drake Maye and Spencer Rattler throw for a combined 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns.
3. Florida vs. Utah
Billy Napier might already be on the hot seat in Gainesville, so replicating last year’s opening win against the Utes could take some of that pressure off of him at the start of the season. But it will be a lot harder to do so in Rice-Eccles stadium, one of the loudest stadiums in the country. Returning for his final season, Cam Rising will be hoping to redeem himself for some late mistakes in last year’s contest.
4. TCU vs. Colorado
All eyes will be on Deion Sanders‘ debut as an FBS coach, and the Buffs drew a fascinating matchup in their opener. Coming off of their national title game appearance, the Horned Frogs will be breaking in a new quarterback and a lot of new skill players. Anything could happen in this one.
5. Nebraska at Minnesota
I know, I know, Big Ten West football is rarely watchable. But Matt Rhule has already sparked a new wave of interest in the Cornhuskers, and his debut is going to be interesting to watch. Across from him, PJ Fleck needs to reload an offensethat lost a few key pieces, including All-American John Michael Schmitz and record-setting running back Mohamed Ibrahim.
